Whatever We Fight For - An Avatar the Last Airbender Fanficiton
by insidiousteapot
Summary: Hi guys :) this is a story I've been working on for a while now, featuring 2 of my OCs during the ATLA timeline. Reviews are much appreciated, I'd love to hear what you think of the story and characters :) This fanfic is rated M for violence and/or death in later chapters. This story mostly stands on its own, but there will be occasional run-ins with the Gaang.
1. Chapter 1: An unexpected ally

**"Chapter One: An Unexpected Ally"**

She could tell by how deep the ladle was going into the pan that dinner was almost run out, but there were still people in front of her. It was like this every day, there was no line, no-one cared when you got here or how long you'd been waiting. No-one cared for the sick and elderly either, for that matter. Liling sighed, and tip-toed, hoping the man handing out dinner would notice her, but it seemed she had no such luck. She was being elbowed left and right by people trying to get something to eat.

She didn't care much for her fellow prisoners and for the most part didn't even see them that way. There was no unison amongst them, no sense of being part of a group. If anything, they were her competition as they all tried to get to the same precious resources, because that's what food and a blanket to sleep under had become. Liling wished she could go back to the days she took these things for granted.

She was getting closer and closer, and held out her bowl like everyone else. "Was that everyone? Heh, I didn't think we'd be so lucky today", a voice said as she heard the metallic clunk of the ladle being dropped into the empty pan. That wasn't everyone, she thought, but what was she to do about it? It was just one of those days. She walked over to her usual spot, and kneeled against the railing of the rig. She watched the sunset, trying to ignore the empty feeling in her stomach. The sunsets were just about the only good thing about being here, she loved to watch as the sun seemed to sink into the ocean, colouring the sky and waves alike. If I ever get out of here, I'll paint sunsets. So many sunsets…

She probably wasn't getting out though, she didn't think anybody was. She'd likely grow old and die in this place, far from her family or her home. She pushed the thought from her mind, and her eyes wandered up again, allowing the beauty of the evening sky to distract her. She turned around, leaning her back against the railing, and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of the day's last rays of sunlight on her back. As her attention was turned elsewhere, she didn't notice the approaching guard until his dark shadow loomed over her, and he addressed her with a gruff "Hey!". She jerked her head up to see the tallest man she'd ever laid eyes on, and she could instantly feel her heart beating in her throat as she instinctively leaned into the railing, creating what little distance she could between herself and her enemy. He was one of the benders, his face obscured by his helmet, but she could feel his eyes burning into hers.

"I-I didn't do anything," she stammered defensively, bringing her arms up to her chest. To her surprise, the guard took a step backwards, turned his head as if he was looking for something, raised his hand and dropped it to his side again in an awkward gesture. "No, I know, that's… that's not why I'm here." He let out a heavy, defeated sigh. "I'm sorry." Liling raised her eyebrows. What on earth's going on, she thought. What does he want from me? The guards usually didn't pay any attention to their prisoners, but when they did it was never good news.

The firebender gestured at her empty bowl. "You're hungry, right? Can I… do you want some?" He held out his own bowl, and Liling swallowed hard as she saw it was filled to the brim with steaming hot meat and vegetables. She tentatively reached out, but quickly withdrew her hand again. He was playing some stupid joke, he had to be. Some of the guards liked bullying the prisoners. They mostly seemed to enjoy kicking them or making them trip, but maybe this guy wanted to play a different game. She'd been spared the cruelty of the guards so far, but that was probably just luck. She frowned, lips pursed. The guard knelt beside her in a swift motion, and she quickly raised her arms even higher to protect her face.

Nothing happened. Slowly, she lowered her arms again, and saw her bowl, now filled with food that looked and smelled better than anything she'd had in a long time. He'd actually given her some! She took up the bowl, still half expecting the guard to yank it from her hands, but he didn't. Didn't even look like he spat in it... Maybe her day would end on a high note this time. Her eyes sought to meet his, but he quickly looked away, and he brought his hand up as if to brush it through his hair, very nearly knocking his helmet off his head. Liling barely suppressed a giggle. "Thank you," she said with a smile, averting her eyes again. She didn't really know what else to say. The guard hastily rose back to his feet. "You're welcome," he said, "I uh, I should get going." He sighed again, as if he wanted to say more but didn't know what, and shrugged. "Goodbye then." Liling couldn't stop the smile that spread on her face. "Goodbye sir. Thank you again!" She watched him walk away with a strange feeling in her gut. She felt happy, and light. Today was a good day. Whatever made this guard decide to help her out, she hoped he would do it again. If she could somehow make an ally out of him, her life would be so much easier…


	2. Chapter 2: Stumbling like an idiot

**Chapter Two: Stumbling like an idiot**

"So how'd it go, Thundercloud?" Cheng's enthusiastic voice greeted him as he walked in. Rui saw the pai sho board was already on the table. He shrugged and closed the door behind him, leaning against it with a heavy sigh and throwing his hands in the air. "What?" Cheng raised his eyebrows as Rui sat down opposite him. "Don't leave me hanging! I practically had to stick a hot poker up your backside to get you to go see that girl and now you won't tell me how it went?" Rui folded his arms and studied the board with feigned interest. "Nope." Avoiding the subject was a tactic that worked rather well with Cheng, he'd learned, because Cheng was very easily distracted.

Second lieutenant Cheng laughed. He and Rui had come to this rig together around 3 years ago, and had formed a surprisingly good friendship, considering how different they were. He couldn't really relate to the other man, but they both loved a good game of pai sho, and in a way Rui had come to appreciate Cheng's unrelenting optimism and encouragement. He moved his first tile as Cheng went on one of his rants. "You know, I don't get you. You're the best firebender on board. You're the only one of us who didn't piss himself when Warden Ashpot was shouting at us when we first got here… Remember the first order we got when we arrived here?"

Rui nodded. "Don't engage with the honoured guests. Don't give them anything. Finger, whole hand, blah blah blah…" The warden liked to call the prisoners his guests and himself their humble host. He was far from humble though, the man was a maniac and it had taken Rui and Cheng mere seconds to realize that. In truth, the guards weren't much better off than the prisoners. Cheng pointed his finger at him. "And you just disobeyed that guy because you wanted to. Shit, you've been in battle! How can talking to a woman be more difficult than that?"

Rui assessed Cheng's moves, trying to figure out his strategy. Most people played the same game over and over again or at least employed a similar strategy, but Cheng didn't. Sometimes he wondered if his friend even thought about what he was doing at all. If he doesn't, he thought, maybe he should give it a try. "It's not the same," he said, "Facing an enemy is simple, you attack, they defend, and you're supposed to hate each other. And when you're engaged in battle, it's a _good_ thing when you scare people."

Cheng laughed, and weighed in: "You just have one of those faces. And you're too big for your own good. I'm just saying, you're a scary guy and nobody likes the look of you. I don't even know what's worse, with or without the helmet!" Rui scratched his chin, pretending he didn't hear that last bit. At least Cheng had changed the subject a bit. "It's different when you're trying to be friendly. I just don't know what to say." Cheng slapped his forehead in frustration and groaned as Rui took one of his tiles off the board. He gestured at his friend, leaning forward on his elbows. "I told you, just walk up to people and say hey. Did you say hey?" Rui nodded.

"Did you say it angrily? You said it angrily." Cheng slapped his forehead again. "Okay, so you weren't off to a good start. Then what?" Rui sighed and looked away. He related to Cheng how the prisoner had backed away from him, how he hadn't known what to do to convince her he didn't mean it bad. Cheng slapped his forehead a third time. If I keep making an ass of myself, he might get a dent, Rui thought. "So you made her think you were about to rip out her spine through her nostril, and then what? You stumbled like an idiot again? Look, you saw she didn't have anything to eat and you thought you should help, right? So did you?"

Rui shrugged. "Yeah, so I guess that's good." He was winning this game. His friend's forehead was starting to get red. "Just promise me it's just this once. Or at least only her. It's not that I disagree with you, I don't, the warden's policy stinks. And he should buy more food. But you know how he gets if he finds out someone's disobeyed an order. So don't make a habit out of it. I don't know if I'm strong enough to pull _you_ out of the sea, big guy!"

Rui huffed. He didn't like the Earthbenders, they were his enemies. For all he cared, they could drop dead that very instant, the lot of them, there was absolutely no chance he'd give up his own meals for their sake. No good Fire Nation soldier would. They could burn. Rui tried to keep a neutral face. Cheng liked to tease him for looking angry, there was no need to give his friend more ammunition. The girl though… could she really be an enemy like the others? She seemed to pose no threat.

When Cheng had suggested giving her something to eat because she had nothing, it had seemed as logical as throwing a handful of crumbs to a baby turtleduck. Of course he'd do it, he just hated approaching her. He knew how she'd react to him, they all had the same response, but even though he'd foreseen it, it still threw him off-balance when she'd recoiled like a frightened animal. Had she been any of the other prisoners, her fear would have satisfied him, but now, it felt bad. If she was here by some sort of mistake, if she wasn't an enemy, then she shouldn't be afraid. He didn't know what to make of her, what to do next.

He stared at the pai sho board intently. If the warden found out he'd done anything to help a prisoner, there'd be trouble, but he doubted he'd be thrown overboard. Cheng was right, he _was_ too big for it. If anything it would come down to an agni kai, a fire duel to the death. "You're making a habit out of it, aren't you? You're a shit liar even when you're not saying anything, pal! I think you- eh?" Cheng's rant was cut short as he saw the lotus tile Rui had placed in the centre of the board, a winning move.

"I might," Rui admitted, "I don't like disobeying orders, but…" he shook his head. "This is just wrong. Our victory in this war will be built on our superior leadership and strength in battle, not on starving prisoners. We don't need these tactics to keep the prisoners in line. They can't bend here, they can't fight us, and even if they could… all I'm saying is the ones who get nothing to eat now aren't the ones anyone should fear in battle anyway. This accomplishes nothing, it's just cruel. The warden doesn't have to know. It's the right thing to do. The honourable thing."

His friend shook his head. "You know what I just heard? I heard a whole lot of propaganda nationalist ideology la dee da mixed in with your sense of duty and honour. Your honour will be the death of you some day." Rui raised his eyebrows. "Really? I thought _you_ were!" He only just managed to duck from the pai sho board thrown at him.


	3. Chapter 3: The plan

**Chapter Three: The Plan**

Liling hastily closed the door to the sewing room behind her. She'd been working since morning and now that she was done with her chores, she wanted to get to the deck as fast as possible.

She knew that the faster she got to the deck, the better her chances for getting dinner. It was first come, first serve, and she knew she didn't stand much chance once everyone started crowding around the table from which their food was served. Dinner was always the same, some sort of gloopy soup with chunks of bread and potato in it, greyish in colour and with a terrible taste to it. It didn't taste as bad as it looked, but it was still disgusting. She assumed their food was prepared with scraps and leftovers from the crew's previous dinners, as she really couldn't imagine how fresh ingredients could be made to taste even half as bad as this. Still, they got one meal a day and as bad as it was, she hated to miss it. Bad food still beat an empty stomach.

When she walked out onto the deck, her heart sank. Food was already on the table and the crowds had already gathered. She ran up to the guard handing out the bowls and spoons, and quickly grabbed them. She tip-toed to see if there was a lot of food left. If she was lucky they'd only just begun to hand out dinner. She couldn't even see the table and pan though. It wasn't looking very good. As other prisoners began to gather behind her, she felt the familiar pressure of a crowd of people all trying to move forward when there really was no space, the familiar elbows in her ribs, intentional or not, and she heard the usual muttered curses and complaints. She wanted to push forward but there was nowhere to move, she was stuck between the others. She tip-toed again, and looked around to see if she could find Tyro anywhere.

Tyro had been here even before she'd arrived, and he had been the only other prisoner she'd taken a liking to. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man with a long white beard and a friendly face, and she knew he had a son close to her age. He was as close to a leader as they had here, and tried to look out for the other prisoners, including her. If she could find him, he might be able to help her get dinner. He was nowhere to be seen though. She sighed in disappointment. Slowly, she got closer to the table, but just as she felt she was nearly there, the prisoners handing out the food carried the empty pan away. She hung her head in disappointment, and clutched her empty stomach. She slowly walked towards the railing, kicking a screw left on the floor by some of the workers back and forth until she finally kicked it off the rig and watched it disappear into the waves. She knelt down on the floor and put her empty bowl beside her.

"Liling, there you are!" She looked up to see Tyro coming towards her with some blankets in his hands. "Here," he said with a smile, "it's going to be a cold night, you'll need to keep warm." He handed her one of the blankets. She smiled as she took it from him. At least she wouldn't be cold, although she still doubted if she could get any sleep.

Tyro sat down next to her, and glanced at her empty bowl. "Did you miss out on dinner again?" He asked softly. She nodded. "If I'd known I would have saved you some of mine," he said, "I'm sorry. I would do more for you if I could." "I know," she said, "I don't know where I'd be without your help." Tyro smiled. "I'll always be here to help you. You know, you remind me of my son sometimes. He's just as gentle a soul as you are. You could've been his sister, you're so alike!"

"Tyro?" Another prisoner asked. Tyro looked up. "There's a scuffle in the barracks." Quickly, Tyro rose to his feet. "I'm sorry, Liling," he excused himself, "I need to take care of this. I'll be back as soon as I can!" She nodded, and watched as he hurried off towards the barracks, walking as fast as he could without drawing attention from the guards. It was best if Tyro could settle this fight, she thought, if the guards found out, who knows what they might do to break it up. She'd seen them firebend at prisoners before. Some of the men had burns on their arms or faces from when the guards had bended at them to keep order. She shuddered.

She looked around on the deck. There didn't seem to be a lot going on. The prisoners were sitting in small groups having their dinner or just talking, and the guard who'd been handing out the bowls and spoons had left. There were a few guards on the wall, but they seemed to be having a conversation rather than paying attention to the prisoners. She saw the doors to the main building open, and one of the firebenders walked out. She gulped as she saw how he walked across the deck, seemingly going straight for her. She hadn't done anything wrong had she?

The guard stopped right next to her, leaning over the railing, looking out over the sea. She released the breath she'd been holding. It seemed she wasn't in trouble. "Hey!" She jerked her head up at the guard. He was still staring ahead, but he'd definitely addressed her. "Hello," she replied hesitantly. "It's me," he said. She gasped, recognising the man who'd shared his food with her a week earlier. "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't recognise you!" It was hard to tell the firebenders apart, as their helmets obscured their faces and they all wore the same uniform. She had no idea if she'd been guarded by the same men all this time or if they had come and gone without her noticing. "You've got nothing to eat again," he stated with a sigh.

"I, I know," she muttered, head down and shoulders sloping. He'd helped her before, but she had no idea if that was just something he did on impulse, or if he'd be willing to help her out again. "So, uh, you're hungry then? I mean, yeah, you probably are. Since you don't have any food." He hung his head and sighed. "What I'm trying to say is, you can have some of mine. If you want." She raised her eyebrows. It seemed talking wasn't this man's strong suit. She stood up, bowl in her hands, and turned to face the ocean as well. Now that she was standing beside him, she could really tell just how tall he was. She only reached up to his chest or so. He truly towered over her. "That would be very kind of you," she said with a smile. He quickly picked up some fish with his chopsticks and put it into her bowl, and then shovelled some rice into it as well. "Thank you!" She flashed him a smile, it was best she made sure to show him her gratitude. She could use all the help she could get to survive in this place. He raised his hand. "No, no problem. Really. I get more than enough. I mean, I'm just trying to help."

Her stomach rumbled, and she quickly took a bite of rice. "It's just, eh," the guard muttered. He sounded strange, she thought, his voice was too deep to be so seemingly insecure and awkward. "Well," he continued, "so, how do you want to do this?" She looked at him questioningly. What did he mean by 'this'? He seemed to notice her confusion. "I-I mean, the food. I mean, people might be watching." She quickly nodded her head. "I'm sorry, I wasn't sure what you meant. I apologize!" She could feel her face going red in embarrassment. "Well," he sighed, "I just thought it's probably better if you come see me inside? I mean, my uh… my boss wouldn't be very happy I'm doing this, so…" She nodded in understanding.

"I work in the sewing room," she said, "that's more… private?" He nodded. "Yeah, that would be perfect. So, if you miss out, if there's other guards out, maybe, we'll find each other there?" She agreed. "So that's agreed then," he said as he straightened himself. He pointed towards the barracks. "Can you go in there? Just pretend I sent you on an errand? You know, we can't just be talking…I'm sorry." Liling bowed and walked away, towards the barracks. Once inside, she sat down with her blanket and quickly finished her dinner. Some other prisoners began to make their way inside, ready to get to sleep.

A loud banging on the door announced the arrival of a guard to check the barracks and take back the bowls and spoons. Once he was gone, Liling curled up under her blanket, feeling satisfied. She felt like her life could be taking a turn for the better, now that she had another person to look out for her. She still resolved to be careful, despite the help this man was offering, he was still an enemy. You never knew what a firebender might do, it would be a mistake to think he was to be trusted so easily…


	4. Chapter 4: Faces and names

**Chapter Four: Faces and Names**

Liling walked through the hallway of the rig, ticking her fingers on the metal wall. The last few days had gone by quietly. She'd missed out on dinner once, and the lieutenant had made good on his promise. She listened to the sound of her own footsteps and her fingers ticking on the wall. No matter how warm it might get, the walls were always nice and cool. She'd spent the day in the sewing room as usual, but there wasn't much to do, which enabled her to lurk around the prisoners' dinner table. She was actually one of the first to get her dinner. The weather was getting colder, so she preferred being indoors for the evening.

"Hey you, wait up!" She startled at the unexpected voice, and turned around to see one of the guards coming out of the canteen. "Yes?" She answered hesitantly. The man didn't seem very threatening as he made his way over to her, steaming hot bowl of meat in his hands. He was one of the nonbenders, whose helmets didn't obscure their faces. She rarely dared to look at the guards, but when she did she was always surprised to see ordinary faces, as if they weren't supposed to be human. This man seemed relatively young to her, with bright eyes, an upturned nose and a carefree, lopsided smile plastered on his face. He sported a messy goatee and sideburns.

"My name's Cheng! Nice to meet you!" "Liling," she said as she shook his hand. "Can I help you?" Cheng nodded, and handed her the food he was holding. "Can you bring this to first lieutenant Rui for me? He didn't show up for dinner. He may be sick, or maybe he's just angry. He's kind of a grump sometimes. Or he might want to be alone, he's one of those people who needs their private time, you know? Not sure if he wants dinner at all, but it doesn't hurt to try, right?"

Liling nodded, somewhat overwhelmed by this chatterbox, but immediately realised she didn't know any of the guards' names. Well, except for Cheng's, now. Cheng gave her a surprised look, but an instant later the smile was back on his face. "Sure you know him! He looks like a big old grouch, but he's my best buddy. Firebender, big guy?" He waved his hands over his head. "'Bout yea high? Likes sharing his food?" His smile had turned into a happy ear-to-ear grin now. Liling blushed. "I didn't know his name was Rui. He never said."

Cheng sighed and then shrugged, waving his hands. "Well, we're definitely talking about the same guy then! Either way, can you bring this to him?" "Sure," she said. It wasn't as if she could say no. "Where do I find him?" Cheng placed a hand on her shoulder and pointed down the hallway. "Right round the corner, third door on your left hand side!" A voice called out from the canteen, and he smiled at her apologetically. "I gotta go. Thanks for helping out. It was nice meeting you!" With that, he turned and hurried back. "Nice meeting you too.." Liling murmured, as she made her way down the hallway and around the corner.

At the third door on her left, she stopped and raised her hand to knock. She took a deep breath. Why did she feel like she was staring into the lair of some kind of beast? She'd seen this man before, been alone with him, and he'd done nothing to harm her. Why would she be scared now?

 _Because this is his own cabin,_ she thought, _he probably won't wear his helmet when he's alone in here. I'll see his face. I don't want to._ It was easier if he remained faceless, she didn't care what he looked like, how old he was, if he was friendly like Cheng or hostile like the warden… all she needed was for him to let her share in his food when she'd missed out on dinner. It was better if it didn't get personal. She didn't want to know any of them. She hated the Fire Nation. She sighed, and with a heavy heart, knocked on the heavy metal door.

"Coming," the lieutenant's voice called from inside. It sounded weak, she noticed. Her heart raced as she saw the door handle go down, and when the door opened, she could feel it skip a beat. Any other day, this man would look every bit as imposing and frightening as she'd imagined when she first met him. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with a short-trimmed black boxed beard, his eyebrows drawn into a frown over the tell-tale amber eyes of a firebender, an ash maker. Now though, he was neither imposing nor frightening.

He looked awful. His skin was pale, his eyes were red and he had bags under his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. He took a step back in surprise. "It's you…" Liling nodded. "I was asked to bring you your dinner?" At the sight of the food, the lieutenant sighed, and turned back into the room, to the already opened window, staring into the sea below. "I don't care for it," he said dismissively.

"I suppose this isn't what you need," Liling said softly, "can I get you something else? Some water maybe?" He turned around, leaning heavily against the wall as he slid down on the floor. "Some water would be good, thanks." She quickly made her way to the kitchen, trading the bowl of food for access and a pitcher of water and a cup. "Here," she said, pouring him a cup of water. He downed it immediately and she filled him a new one.

She knelt down next to him, unsure of what to do. If she walked out on him now, he'd certainly remember. That would effectively end their potential alliance, and she needed his help too much to risk that. But what was she to do though? She remembered back at home, if her little sisters were tired, she'd sing them lullabies, but singing childish lullabies to a grown man, and a firebender at that, was just about the most ridiculous thing she could think of.

She gave him a worrying look. "Are you alright?" He shook his head. He just sat there, knees to his chest, staring at the opposite wall. She studied his face. He looked a mess. He wore part of his hair up in a topknot with the rest loose, a style she'd seen before, but his hair looked tangled and messy, and he had some shorter strands sticking to his face. He looked more than just tired. He looked downright miserable. "What's wrong?" He closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the wall. "It's just... a bad day." She frowned. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She surprised herself with the question. Why would she care if he really was miserable? What was it to her? He shook his head, then turned to her and asked: "Do you remember anything from when the valley was taken?" She frowned. It seemed like an odd question to ask. "I do," she said softly, "I was 6 when it started, 8 when they took our village. I remember my mother hiding in the closet with me and my little sisters. She told us we had to be as quiet as a meadow vole. She said there were bad men and we couldn't let them find us or they would burn-" Shocked, she turned to him. "You were there?"

He nodded. "I- I don't know if I was in your village," he said, "but I was there. I was 21 when we landed in the valley. We thought… we could take it easily. We couldn't. It took 3 years…the fighting, I… what happened to you? Were you taken here that day?"

Liling swallowed hard, fighting the tears in her eyes. "No, I wasn't. I was taken here 4 years ago. Four years ago tomorrow." He took another sip of his water. "Do you keep track?" She shook her head. "Not really. But I was taken the day I turned 13. That's how I know." "When your village was conquered, did you… see anything?" She shook her head. "We waited in that closet forever. I could hear the fighting and screaming. My baby sister was crying and we were just so scared… then that soldier opened the closet doors. He told us we had to come out to the square. My mother made us close our eyes and hold hands. She said we couldn't open our eyes until we were back home again… I smelled fire and smoke, and a lot of people were crying. They told us we were part of the Fire Nation now and everything would be alright if we didn't resist. I later heard how many people were taken away that day, and how many were burned."

Rui looked away. "I remember the fires too," he muttered, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. She noticed a small scar on his bottom lip, as if it had been split some time. "And I remember-" He shook his head, cutting himself short. Liling poured him another cup of water. He didn't take it, and instead knelt down, clenched fists on his knees, head hanging low. Instinctively, she placed her hand over his.

They sat like that for a little while, neither of them speaking. She bit her lip, wondering what was going on, why she was here, and found no answers except maybe a deep feeling of pity and sadness. She let go of him again. "Thank you," he said softly. "I think I need some time alone, some rest." She nodded in understanding and stood up. She closed the heavy door behind her, and shivered. Then she ran back to the deck, where the other prisoners were, as fast as she could, trying to push the experience to the back of her mind.


	5. Chapter 5: Midnight

**Chapter Five: Midnight**

Night had fallen, but Liling couldn't sleep. She turned around yet again. It seemed almost impossible to get some sleep this night, partly due to the snoring of the other prisoners and partly because it was too cold to sleep without a blanket. The fact that she couldn't push the events of earlier that night out of her mind didn't help either. She sat up with a sigh. Tyro had made certain the sick and elderly got a blanket, and unfortunately for her she was neither sick nor old. She'd never realized she was a light sleeper, because back home she'd had her own room and there was never much noise at night, save for the occasional rainstorm, and those had been pleasant to listen to.

She looked around the barrack. It seemed she was the only one awake. For a moment she contemplated stealing a blanket from someone else, but that would likely earn her a beating in the morning. It wasn't worth it. She stood up and tip-toed to the window, and looked around the deck. She couldn't see anyone. There were always guards on duty, even at night, but they made one round an hour only. She could probably spend some time outside.

Despite the cold, the deck was a welcome change from the damp, smelly barracks. She walked over to the railing, and leaned on it, overlooking the ocean. It was hard to see where the ocean's dark waters met the sky. The sky was clear, showing an abundance of stars, and the waves gently splashed against the metal rig. A gentle breeze blew through her hair, and she shivered. It was a beautiful night.

Suddenly, she heard heavy footsteps behind her, and she quickly ducked and hid behind a ventilation shaft. Her heart was beating in her throat. Who else would be out here? The guards went by just minutes before she went out! As the footsteps came closer, she could hear two male voices talking softly. In one, she recognized the deep voice of lieutenant Rui, the other she couldn't recognize. She held her breath, hoping they wouldn't notice her. Abruptly the conversation came to a halt, and both men stood still. "Who's there? Show yourself!" The unknown voice called out. She took a deep breath, and slowly stood up with her hands raised in surrender, her heart beating so fast she was sure it would burst right out of her chest.

The lieutenant stood next to a somewhat tall, skinny looking younger soldier, who looked up at him questioningly, as if he wasn't sure what to do with the situation. "You go," Rui said wearily, "I'll handle this. Get yourself some rest." The other guard nodded and bowed, then walked off, back to the main building, glancing over his shoulder one more time before he closed the doors behind him. Liling looked up at Rui. She couldn't see his face because of his helmet, but she was certain he was not giving her a friendly look. "Why are you up past curfew?" He asked.

She rubbed her arms and shivered. "I'm sorry… I couldn't sleep," she said, and walked back to the railing. He followed her and leaned over the railing as well. "What's keeping you up?" He asked. She sighed. "Mostly the noise and the cold… what about you? Are you feeling any better?" He shrugged. "I've been feeling terrible all day and when I'm finally feeling a little better, it's too late to sleep. So I switched guard duty and went for an early round. Might as well... I meant to go out for a bit anyway." She nodded in agreement. Together, they looked out over the dark waters. "It's a beautiful night," he said. "I don't mind being up." "Hmm.." She shivered in the breeze.

He conjured a small, flickering flame above his outstretched palm. "Here, warm your hands on this," he suggested. "You should've brought your blanket out." Liling shrugged. "I didn't have one today." The lieutenant huffed. "The shortage will only grow worse," he said grimly. "Does it trouble you a lot?" She hung her head. "Yeah. Food and blankets go to whoever pushes the hardest, and that's usually not me." He nodded, and turned to her. "I'll do my best to help you," he promised in an earnest voice, "but the blankets will be more of a problem than food. I'll see what I can do." She smiled faintly, happy to know she had indeed found an ally.

"You don't seem so miserable anymore," she said cautiously, "but…" she looked away, unsure of what to say. "But I still look like a sad bastard?" She looked up in shock. He'd removed the mask from his helmet and smiled at her wryly. He looked away, gazing at the waves, stroking his beard. "I suppose I am… that's why I didn't want dinner, but it would've been a rotten day anyway. It's the anniversary of my father's death," he said softly. "Or so we think. Nine years ago today, the news reached me." She looked at him pitifully. "I'm sorry to hear that," she said.

"He fell on the battlefield," the lieutenant continued in a low voice, "killed by an earthbender." She saw he'd clenched his fist. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "this war claims so many victims." His lips narrowed, eyebrows pulled down. "My father couldn't bend, he had no way to defend himself against an earthbender," he said angrily, "it was a cowardly murder. My father was a good man, he never deserved-!" He slammed his fist into the metal railing, the motion causing the small flame to fade out, and Liling jumped involuntarily and quickly withdrew her hands.

He sighed at her fearful reaction, and with a pained expression on his face, he turned his back to her. "Wait," she grabbed him by the sleeve before he could walk away, only to quickly let go when he turned around again. He didn't say anything, only looked at her questioningly. "I'm sorry," she said softly, and surprisingly enough, she meant it. She knew they were enemies, a hundred years of war had made it to be that way, but she felt she could relate to his pain somehow, even if the last thing she wanted was to relate to an ash maker.

"My parents still live," she said sadly, "but I don't think I'll ever see them again. I know what it's like to miss someone you love." She shivered. He summoned the flame again, and a smile appeared on her face as she felt the pleasant warmth on her skin.

"In a way it's the same," he mused, "you said goodbye one day, and that was the last time you every saw them. It was the same with my father. He left with his unit and just never came back. It's like it's never finished, like he never actually died. All we got was a letter saying he was gone and…" he swallowed hard, "that it wasn't possible to cremate the body properly. We didn't even get to make our last goodbyes. I know it broke my mother's heart… And I…"

He fumbled with something hanging from his belt. "It's a lantern," he explained, "I light one every year in my father's memory." She felt a heavy feeling in her throat. "That's nice," she said softly. "I wish I had some way to do that." "We can light it together?" He offered. They knelt down on the deck, and she watched as he unfolded the small lantern. She saw he'd scribbled some words on them, in quick, forceful strokes. Even his handwriting looked gruff and angry. _Dad,_ it read, _I miss you. I'll look after mom._

Together, they let up the lantern without saying a word, and watched it float away, a small light in the darkness casting its reflection on the water. Liling couldn't help but think that for her, it wasn't as if her parents were dead, it was as if she was. They were still at home, with her sisters, living their lives every day as they always had. She was the one who was gone and had ceased to exist, she was the one who was lost in this limbo. She wondered if her family missed her as much as she did them. She wiped a tear from her cheek, and almost instantly felt the lieutenant's heavy hand on her shoulder, squeezing her lightly in what she supposed was meant to be a reassuring gesture. "I wanted to thank you for your kindness," she said softly. "I don't know how I can repay you, but-" He shook his head, cutting her short. "I don't need anything from you," he said. "Just accept what I can do for you. Now try to get back to sleep, dawn's in an hour."


	6. Chapter 6: Happy Birthday

**Chapter Six: Happy Birthday**

The next day was the day she turned 17. She went to the sewing room just after sunrise, doing her usual chores, repairing torn prison uniforms and blankets. Most of the uniforms were of poor quality, not made to withstand the daily wear and tear, and since most of the male prisoners performed heavy manual labour on board of the rig, expanding it and building new ships for the Fire Nation, additional damage was inevitable.

Liling had learned sewing and embroidery as a young girl, and it wasn't long after her arrival that she signed herself up for duty in the sewing room. Working wasn't mandatory for female prisoners, but it was the only way to earn a bucket of water to wash oneself with, as well as other items such as a hairbrush.

In the beginning she'd felt angry and humiliated, being forced to work for such basic things by her enemies, but she'd learned to suppress her anger. She'd felt scared too, and she still did a little. She'd quickly learned that the guards' cruelty wasn't random, it was methodical. If you were defiant, if you didn't carry out an order fast enough, if you stood up too straight or did anything else that showed them you weren't afraid, they'd come for you. That's why they never bothered with her, she realised. She was scared enough. She knew her place.

There was nothing she could do anyway. She remembered just days after she first got there, there had been an uprising amongst the newcomers. The instigators were sought out and the warden had had them thrown overboard. He'd then pretended to be merciful and promised he would have his guards throw a rope to let them climb back on board. The next day, he had made good on his promise, but none of the men had climbed back on board. After all, who could swim for a day? She'd learned that day that if she wanted to survive, the best thing she could do was to keep her head down and obey. At least she could count on the guards being predictable.

Working in the sewing room wasn't so bad, it wasn't physically straining but earned her the same privileges, and more importantly, it kept her away from everybody else, out of trouble, and the rooms on board were heated so she wouldn't get cold during the winter. She looked at the pile of uniforms on the floor. It didn't look like there were too many, she should be able to finish early and continue on what she considered her special project. A few months earlier, the captain of the rig had come to her with a silk kimono and ordered her to embroider it, as a birthday present for his wife. She was working on an elaborate phoenix pattern on the back of it, and it was coming along nicely. It was nice to have some creative outlet.

As she worked, the pile of uniforms in front of her steadily grew smaller. She folded up the finished ones and put them in a separate pile, to be picked up later. She was 17 now. In this place she had grown from a girl to a woman. She wondered, if she'd stayed with her parents, if she would be married by now. She'd become a woman a year ago, surely her parents would have at least started looking for a husband, had she still been with them. It was strange to think about how different her life could have been, had she not been arrested for earthbending as a girl. She wondered who her prospective husband would have been. A government official, maybe, someone from her father's work environment, or maybe a son from one of the other aristocratic families in the area.

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a loud knock on the door. She stood up to answer the door, assuming one of the guards had been sent to check on her progress. She was surprised to find the first lieutenant at the door. "Hey," he greeted her with the same gruff tone as when they'd first met. This time she wasn't as afraid or startled. Instead, she bowed respectfully. "Do you need my services?" "Yeah," he replied, seemingly embarrassed with himself, "I uh, tore my sleeve. Could you fix it?" He glanced at the pile of uniforms on the floor. "If you have time, I mean." She gestured for him to enter the room. "I'll do it right away, why don't you have a seat?" He knelt down at the low table, and she sat down next to him and examined his sleeve. It seemed the tear was right at a seam, so it would be easy to repair.

He reached up for his helmet, took out the white mask and placed it on the table between them. "You look better than yesterday," she said. It was true. Today he looked fine, although he wasn't looking very happy. He seemed like the serious type. He looked away nervously as she placed her hand on his arm and began sewing up the tear in his sleeve. For a moment she thought she could see some red in his cheeks. "Thanks. I, uh, my name's Rui, by the way. Nice to meet you. Officially, I mean, we've already met, of course." "My name is Liling." "Thank you for yesterday," he said with a sigh. She looked up from her work to meet his eyes. "I just did what I was asked to do, nothing more."

She didn't want to give him any ideas. He was the best ally she'd found here, but no more than that. To her surprise he'd never asked for anything in return for his favours, but she didn't care about him, she couldn't. She could feel the anger rising in the pit of her stomach. Who was he to assume she'd care for him? Who was he to suffer from this war? It was their fault, all of it! The previous evening and night had been confusing, but she had to remind herself of who this man was. He was Fire Nation. An enemy, and the cause of all her misery. "Nobody told you to stay," he said softly. She'd finished her sewing. "I don't know why I stayed," she admitted. "I don't know why I wanted to talk to you last night either."

"Do you still think I'm an enemy?" She looked up in surprise. He had that same pained look in his eyes he'd had the day before. But they were the slanted, amber eyes of a firebender, an enemy, a monster. "Please don't ask me that," she whispered, hoping he would drop the subject. He didn't. "Please? Just be honest with me," he said. She looked away. "You can speak your mind," he said, "I won't mind." Something about him made her feel like he meant it.

She let out a small whimper. "You took everything from me," she said bitterly, fighting back the tears, "my home, my family, my life… I have nothing left because of your people, because of your greed and conquest. I never wanted to have enemies. All I ever wanted was to be with my family, I wanted love and I wanted a normal life. I just… feel like I don't have any friends left in the world right now. I'm alone. And it's _your_ fault!" She bit her lip, fearing that, despite what he'd said, her outburst might have cost her her ally.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I don't know what to say to you. I just thought… can you wait here for me? Stay here? I'll come back, I promise." She raised her eyebrows and slightly cocked her head. What was he planning? Hesitantly, she gave in, and promised to stay in the sewing room. She worked on the kimono until after sunset, wondering what Rui was up to. Her empty stomach rumbled. She hadn't dared to go out for dinner. She sighed, hoping he'd be back soon. By now she should consider herself lucky if there was even a scrap of food left.

Then, the door opened again. She dropped her needle, and just sat there, wide-eyed with her mouth slightly opened, staring at him as he stood in the doorway, with a large tray in his hands. On it were various bowls filled with rice, dumplings, lychee berries, sliced mango, meat and vegetables, as well as a fresh pot of tea and a dish of cookies. "Happy birthday," he said sheepishly.


	7. Chapter 7: Dumplings

**Chapter Seven: Dumplings**

The rhythmic knocking on the metal door of his cabin alerted Rui to Cheng's arrival. "Door's open," he called out, setting his pai sho board on the table. By now, he could really use some alone time, as he'd been around the other guards all day and he felt he needed to spend some quiet time alone so he could think about the exchange he'd had earlier with Liling. He'd been stupid to ask her if she still thought of him as an enemy. Of course she still did. He'd be lying if he said that some part of him didn't still consider her an enemy as well. That's why everything was so confusing. That's why he needed some time alone to think.

He'd promised Cheng they'd play a game this evening though, and he didn't want to disappoint his friend. He'd expected his friend a good half hour ago, so the tea he'd made had gone cold, but that was hardly an issue for a firebender. He could really go for some saké now, but they weren't allowed to have alcohol while on duty. In a way, Cheng's tardiness was a good thing, because it had given Rui at least half an hour of peace and quiet to regain his energy. Cheng entered the cabin, slamming the door shut behind him, and flopped down by the table. Rui raised his eyebrows. "You look bummed, did someone set fire to your dinner?"

Cheng crossed his arms over his chest and made a face. "No, but someone ate it. Well, not my dinner but my second dinner. You took _all_ the leftover dumplings? What's wrong with you, man?" Now it was Rui's time to frown. "How was I supposed to know you wanted a second serving? And what's second dinner? What do they teach you guys in the minor islands?"

"Well," Cheng replied with a deadpan expression, "for one, they teach us not to eat all of the dumplings, in case someone else might still want some. I've been thinking about an extra portion of dumplings the whole day and then you barge into the kitchen and just take them all! I'm hurt!" Rui reached out and roughly ruffled his friend's hair. "Can I make it up with cookies?" He always had a steady supply of cookies, courtesy of his mother and her bakery. It seemed his mother worried he wasn't fed properly, or maybe she just wanted him to fatten up a little. Cheng immediately grabbed a handful.

"Seriously though," he said with his mouth full, "what'd you need all that food for? You're not pregnant and eating for two, are you?" Rui smiled, remembering earlier that evening. "I had a good reason." Cheng waved his cookie around at waist height, "Your good reason wouldn't happen to be about yea high? With freckles?" Rui threw his hands in the air. "So you got me. Have another cookie and shut your pie hole about it, will you? Don't get me in trouble with the warden." Cheng grinned. "Course not! Although I'd like to see the warden try and throw _you_ overboard!"

With the pai sho board and tiles set up, they began their game. It was a mystery to Rui why Cheng liked pai sho as much as he did, considering how awful he was at it. Still, it was nice to have a friend to spend some time with, even if they were polar opposites in most other respects. Pai sho was the second thing they realised they had in common.

The first was their mutual dislike for warden Yin, or Ashpot or Stinkface as Cheng liked to call him. On the day they'd both arrived at their new job, Rui having previously guarded one of the villages in the valley and Cheng fresh from the homeland, it had taken the warden only a few hours to go on a true tirade against Cheng, who'd had the audacity of smiling at a prisoner. He may have even wished him a good day. Cheng always smiled, to the point where Rui thought it might be some sort of defect in his facial muscles.

That one outburst had been enough for Rui to immediately dislike the warden, but Cheng had instead, for some reason, assumed the warden had acted that way because he was stressed and needed to simply lighten up a little. Needless to say, Cheng's attempt to apologize to the warden and cheer him up had backfired tremendously, and actual fire had been involved. Word of the incident had spread quickly and the new guards had known not to get on the warden's bad side –or try to get on his good side. Even Cheng had had the common sense to stay well out of the warden's way.

Cheng grabbed another cookie. "Why'd Freckles get so much food for anyways? You plundered the whole kitchen!" He waved the cookie in Rui's face. "I'm having all of these. To get even." He took a demonstrative bite and chewed loudly, frowning at his friend. Rui shrugged. "It's her birthday, so I thought she deserved something nice." Cheng's frown instantly turned into a smile. "I see! Say congratulations from me next time you see her, okay? Hey, you like her, don't you buddy? How does she feel? You need more friends. I can't be the only person you talk to around here."

Rui shrugged and sighed. "I think I screwed up. I think she's angry with me." Cheng shook his head. "Nah, she's just a prisoner. They don't like us in general, don't take it personally! And besides, you just stuffed her face with dumplings, nobody can stay mad at a person who brings them good food! She'll come 'round, you'll see… oh, these cookies are so good. You gotta tell your mother to send more! I wanna save the last one for later…" That turned out to be one of Cheng's many fleeting thoughts, because within a few moves on the board, he'd eaten the cookie anyway.

It was a mystery to Rui how Cheng ever thought it was a good idea to enlist in the army. He was a great guy and people naturally took a liking to him, and vice versa: Cheng never thought badly of anyone and was always ready to extend a helping hand. It was ironic how these qualities that made him such a likeable person also made him such a terrible soldier. Add to that the fact that he was often lost in his own thoughts, had trouble paying attention and tended to carry out his orders haphazardly and leave loose ends, and it was clear that Cheng, as a soldier, was a recipe for disaster, especially given their current superior. Rui had taken it upon himself to keep his friend out of trouble, which took considerably more effort than he'd expected.

With the cookies now gone, Cheng seemed somewhat more focused on the game. "Man, you always beat me. Can't you be a pal and let me win for once?" Rui shook his head. "Couldn't if I tried. You're awful today, is something wrong? You're not still on about those dumplings are you?" His friend yawned. "I just had a long day, and I didn't sleep very well. You have no idea how lucky you are to have your own cabin."

Most of the crew slept in 4 bed dormitories, only the warden, the captain and Rui had their own cabins as they were ranking officers. Cheng, being only second lieutenant, shared his cabin with junior lieutenant Kuno, who was known to talk in his sleep. Sometimes his unconscious babbling was funny, sometimes it was disturbing and sometimes it was just plain weird. Rui moved his tile across the board, putting Cheng in a tight spot. "Sorry," he said as he saw the expression of surprise on Cheng's face. "Was Kuno at it again?"

Cheng sighed, and made a surprisingly good counter, seemingly without realising. "Oh yeah. You know what he did? He gave me a real scare this time! I was sound asleep, middle of the night, and then I get this feeling there's something looming over me, you know that feeling? So I wake up and there's Stringbean, just standing right next to my bed looking down on me. Motionless." Cheng made a dramatic gesture with his arms and leaned in.

"Just standing there, staring. Eyes wide open, not even blinking. Dead silent. So I stare right back at him with eyes the size of tea trays. What do I do? Do I punch him, say something, hide under the blankets? Then finally he says something, know what that idiot says?" Rui shook his head. "Cheng, he goes, Cheng, what bed do you want to sleep in?" Cheng laughed out loud, his shoulders shaking, and Rui smiled.

"What did you say?" Cheng barely composed himself. "I said, I wanna sleep in this bed, the one I always sleep in! I've been sleeping in this bed for three years! And then Kuno said alright and he just wanted to make sure I was happy!" Rui chimed in. "Well, it could've been worse. Imagine waking up with warden Yin standing over you!" br / Cheng was now doubled over on the table. "Oh no," he grinned, "I can't handle that on an empty stomach!" The tiles were all over the table now, and both men considered their game best left unfinished. Cheng sat up again, wiping his eyes, and then a devious grin spread on his face. "If only I could wake up to something nice, say… you standing next to my bed, holding a tray of delicious dumpl-ouch!" He rubbed his forehead where the lotus tile had hit him. "Keep dreaming, dumpling."


End file.
